The Corner Penthouse

CBS Home Entertainment recently released the The Twilight Zone (2019): The Complete Series DVD. Read on to find out more about it...

[ SYNOPSIS ]

Enter another dimension with Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg's modern take on the all-time classic. Hosted by Jordan Peele and featuring an all-star cast, each of these twenty episodes is its own mesmerizing, mind-bending journey into another dimension featuring contemporary, socially conscious storytelling.

[ EPISODES ]

The seven-disc set includes all 20 episodes that aired on the CBS All Access/Paramount+ streaming service from April 1, 2019 through June 25, 2020. The synopsis below were printed inside the case.

S1,E01. "The Comedian" (53:58) - Comedian Samir Wassan (Kumail Nanjiani) wants to be famous...but at what cost? (Tracy Morgan also stars.)

S1,E02. "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet" (36:05) - Journalist Justin Sanderson {Adam Scott) finds the fate of flight 1015 in his hands.

S1,E03. "Replay" (44:11) - Nina's (Sanaa Lathan) old camcorder can rewind time, but can it help her ensure the future of her college-bound son Dorian (Damson Idris)?

S1,E04. "A Traveler" (49:45) - On Christmas Eve in Iglaak, Alaska, a mysterious traveler (Steven Yeun) wishes to be pardoned by Captain Lane Pendleton (Greg Kinnear). (Marika Sila also stars.)

S1,E05. "The Wunderkind" (39:10) - A down-on-his-luck campaign manager (John Cho) is determined to get a kid (Jacob Tremblay) elected as the president of the United States. (Allison Tolman and John Larroquette also star.)

S1,E06. "Six Degrees of Freedom" (52:58) - A space crew preparing for the first human flight to Mars is faced with a life-altering decision...and its consequences. (De Wanda Wise, Jessica Williams, Jefferson White, Lucinda Dryzek and Jonathan Whitesell star.)

S1,E07. "Not All Men" (41:26) - A meteor shower spreads infection across an entire town affecting some of the inhabitants more than others.

S1,E08. "Point of Origin" (42:28) - A suburban housewife (Ginnifer Goodwin) wants to go home. But where - and what - is home, really? (Zabryna Guevara and James Frain also star.)

S1,E09. "The Blue Scorpion" (40:26) - The emergence of the elusive Blue Scorpion leads anthropology professor Jeff Storck (Chris O'Dowd) to his most personal research project yet.

S1,E10. "Blurryman" (37:30) - Writer Sophie Gelson (Zazie Beetz) is haunted by a mysterious figure.

S2,E01. "Meet in the Middle" (43:02) - Lonely bachelor Phil (Jimmi Simpson) finds meaningful human connection when he discovers a telepathic link to a stranger named Annie (Gillian Jacobs). Their connection quickly sparks a romance, but not everything is as it seems in this seemingly idyllic fantasy.

S2,E02. "Downtime" (32:31) - After a recent promotion to hotel manager, Michelle (Morena Baccarin) feels like she's on top of the world, but any cause for celebration is short lived when the nature of her reality is called into question. (Colman Domingo and Tony Hale also guest star.)

S2,E03. "The Who of You" (46:04) - Struggling actor Harry (Ethan Embry) risks everything to catch his big break, but an impulsive scheme takes a few turns no one saw coming. (Daniel Sunjata, Mel Rodriquez, and Billy Porter also guest star.)

S2,E04. "Ovation" (41:21) - The music career of struggling singer Jasmine (Jurnee Smollett) takes off overnight after she witnesses a tragic incident. Jasmine begins receiving rapturous applause everywhere she goes, but she soon realizes the relentless recognition comes at a steep cost. (Tawny Newsome, Sky Ferreira, Paul F. Tompkins, and Thomas Lennon also guest star.)

S2,E05. "Among The Untrodden" (39:50) - Transfer student Irene's (Sophia Macy) unusual interests make her an easy target at her new all-girls boarding school until she discovers that popular classmate Madison (Abbie Hern) possesses a unique talent.

S2,E06. "8" (31:01) - At the outer reaches of the world, a team of scientists discover a new highly intelligent species, but its existence may endanger more than their research. (Joel McHale, Nadia Hilker, Michelle Ang, Tim Armstrong, and Brandon Jay McLaren guest star.)

S2,E07. "A Human Face" (32:45) - A grieving couple's (Chris Meloni and Jenna Elfman) move is interrupted by an otherworldly encounter, leading them to second guess what's worth leaving behind. (Tavi Gevinson also guest stars.)

S2,E08. "A Small Town" (35:09) - Quiet church handyman Jason Grant (Damon Wayans Jr.) uncovers a magical scale model imbuing him with the power to help his struggling small town. But with the sleazy Mayor John Conway (David Krumholtz) taking all the credit, will Jason's good intentions be corrupted? (Natalie Martinez, Paula Newsome, and Keegan Connor Tracy also guest star.)

S2,E09. "Try, Try" (42:04) - When the quick-witted Claudia (Kylie Bunbury) has a chance run-in with Mark (Topher Grace) at a museum, he dazzles her with his seemingly miraculous abilities. But after the true source of his charisma is revealed, the encounter takes a dark turn.

S2,E10. "You Might Also Like" (40:58) - Stay-at-home housewife Mrs. Warren (Gretchen Mol) looks forward to acquiring the widely marketed 'Egg', an enigmatic device that promises to make everything better for everyone forever. But further investigation soon reveals the unsavory truth about this mysterious product. (Greta Lee, Gil Bellows, Colleen Camp, Donna Dixon, and George Takei also guest star.)

[ SPECIFICATIONS ]

The show is presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio in anamorphic widescreen. The show is Not Rated. Audio languages include English 5.1 Dolby Digital and English 2.0 Stereo Surround Dolby Digital. Subtitle languages include English SDH for all episodes and special features.

[ SPECIAL FEATURES ]

All of the content listed below can be found on the DVD discs.

• SEASON 1: Audio Commentary for "Replay" - by executive producer Win Rosenfeld and writer Selwyn Seyfu Hinds.
• SEASON 1: Audio Commentary for "Not All Men" - by executive producer Win Rosenfeld and writer Heather Anne Campbell.
• SEASON 1: Audio Commentary for "Blurryman" - by writer Alex Rubens and executive producer Audrey Chon.
• SEASON 1: Season 1 Promo (1:25): An advertisement for the new show.
• SEASON 1: Episodic Promos - Previews for individual episodes. Included are "The Comedian" (0:54), "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet" (1:01), "Replay" (0:52), "A Traveler" (1:00), "The Wunderkind" (0:55), "Six Degrees of Freedom" (1:00), "Not All Men" (0:57), "Point of Origin" (1:01), "The Blue Scorpion" (0:57), and "Blurryman" (1:00).
• SEASON 1: Opening the Door To... - Brief episode recaps and story breakdowns. Included are "The Comedian" (1:27), "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet" (1:58), "Replay" (2:18), "A Traveler" (2:20), "The Wunderkind" (2:10), "Six Degrees of Freedom" (1:19), "Not All Men" (2:21), "Point of Origin" (2:31). "The Blue Scorpion" (2:08), and "Blurryman" (2:35).
• SEASON 1: Deleted Scenes - Scenes from "The Comedian" (1:00) and "Replay" (1:08).
• SEASON 1: Extended Scenes - Scenes from "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet" (0:34), "The Wunderkind" (1:27), "Six Degrees of Freedom" (2:16), and "The Blue Scorpion" (3:11).
• SEASON 1: Music Video (1:48) - Oliver's campaign music video from "The Wunderkind."
• SEASON 1: Crossing Over: Living in The Twilight Zone - A two part feature. Part One - A Dimension of Mind: Development (28:32) explores the reasons for and challenges of reinventing a classic television program. Part Two - A Dimension of Sight and Sound: Production (38:03) offers an in-depth exploration of making the show.
• SEASON 1: Gag Reel (2:45)
• SEASON 1: Easter Eggs Revealed (2:31) - A look at some of the hidden references to the original show scattered through the Season 1 episodes.
• SEASON 1: Remembering Rod Serling (36:51) - An in-depth exploration of the original show's creator.
• SEASON 2: "Downtime" Deleted Scene (0:19) - A single shot (not a scene) of Michelle on the hotel roof.
• SEASON 2: "Ovation" Deleted & Extended Scenes (2:50) - Three scenes shown back-to-back, each individually chaptered. The first two scenes show more of Jasmine in the cabin, while the last shows her stabbing the Mynx magazine out of jealousy.
• SEASON 2: "8" Extended Scene (0:56) - The octopus (temp CGI) examines Ling before it scuttles out into the sea.
• SEASON 2: "A Small Town" Deleted Scenes (2:13) - Three scenes shown back-to-back, each individually chaptered. The first scene shows Jason realizing the power of the model when he shines a flashlight on it, then he watches some television (effect to be added in later) in the second scene, and he talks with the pastor about the power surge whilst in the church's greenhouse in the third scene.
• SEASON 2: Gag Reel (4:12)

[ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ]

No digital copy code voucher is included inside the thick clear seven-disc (no overlap) DVD case. The first print run includes an embossed slipcover.

[ NOTES ]

Like most anthology shows, this one is hit or miss. Some episodes are great, but most of them are stinkers - especially in the first season. This is primarily due to the lack of subtlety in the social commentary. The writers prefer to hit the audience over the head with the message, often sacrificing the story in the process. I also get the feeling that many of these episodes - you can read my episode-specific thoughts in my Season 2 DVD review - would work better if they were shorter, like the original series.

The Twilight Zone (2019) is only available as a Complete Series set on DVD. If you want it on Blu-ray, you'll have to buy the two seasons individually: Season 1 and Season 2

As for the three previous iterations of The Twilight Zone... The 1959 series is available on Blu-ray and DVD. The 1985 series is available on DVD. The 2002 series is available on DVD. There is also the ill-fated Twilight Zone: The Movie and The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics.

This item has been provided by CBS Home Entertainment for review on this site.